In the Forest, Again
by Deluxe Sugar Quills
Summary: Travel with Remus in the hours after his death, as he explores the world around him, meets old friends and talks to Harry one last time. Oneshot.


**A/N: Woo, it's still May 2****nd****, so I'm meeting my deadline! If you haven't already guessed, this is a memorial story, posted today to celebrate the 10****th**** anniversary of the final battle of Hogwarts. I now tell to all of you: Remember and mourn for those who had died, but do not forget the triumphs that have occurred, and the better world that exists today. (In case you are totally clueless, May 2****nd****, 1998, is when the final battle occurred.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything recognizable, including several sentences later in the story.**

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In the Forest, Again

The first thing he noticed was the smell. It smelt like the earth in the middle of a forest, and he lay against the hard ground for a moment, just breathing it in. He opened his eyes after a moment and found himself in what looked like a forest in the middle of a black and white movie. There was no color, anywhere, except for himself and the robes he had on his back.

It came to him that he was dead, but he simply accepted it with a sigh. He just wished there was more color.

As if trying to comply with his wishes, the forest gained color, but so little that if one stared at it too hard they couldn't be really sure if the color was even there. Remus took another breath, looked around at his surroundings, and began to walk through the trees.

There wasn't really much to see, he noted, but his feet carried themselves with a purpose unknown to his mind and he soon found himself standing in front of a small boat floating on a river. He knew what he had to do, and he collapsed to the ground in front of the boat.

His mind was racing as he wondered what to do. He knew the sadness of the ghosts, how they were scared of death, but his mind was haunted by one person: Teddy. He knew that Dora had not listened to him; he had seen her fighting by his side, but even if she didn't survive (he begged Merlin that she did), then Teddy would still have Andromeda, Harry, and even all of the Weasleys to look after him. And ghosts couldn't care for small children – it would just be terrible for both of them.

Remus made up his mind and climbed into the boat. Just like his feet had brought him to the boat before, his body knew where the steer the boat. It was a simple wooden rowboat, but no matter how much Remus rowed his couldn't work up a sweat. He felt like he was twenty years old all over again, and he guessed that he probably looked the age as well.

He didn't row for very long, it seemed, but how long it truly was he didn't know. The boat slid onto the ground, and Remus saw a large doorway to a room filled with many, many people. He took a deep breath and walked calmly through the doorway, amazed by the sense of peace it made him feel.

There were more people than he had thought, and every now and then another staggered through a doorway similar to the one Remus had come through. But what shocked him the most was the voice he heard a moment after he had stepped in, a voice he hadn't heard in nearly 18 years.

"Damn it, Moony, you're not supposed to be here!"

Remus smiled slightly as his eyes sought the speaker, though he knew the voice well enough. There were the three of them – sitting in the middle of the crowd, on a red plush couch. He didn't know how they could maneuver very quickly between the ever-growing crowd, but it was merely seconds later when he vision was obscured by a bunch of auburn hair and Lily's warm arms pulled him into a large embrace.

He hugged her back before she released him, and he looked at the two men before him – James looking exactly as he always had, with his hair disheveled and glasses lopsided, and Sirius looked as young as Remus felt, as if being in Azkaban for 12 years would only have been a terrible nightmare long ago.

James shook his head with a sigh, then pulled Remus into a brotherly embrace, and Sirius did the same afterwards.

"How's Harry?" James asked curiously. Remus shook his head.

"He's fine – he's amazing really, fighting all of this on his own. I did try to help him, but he thought that you would think I was a disgrace…" he trailed off for a moment, and James looked confused.

"So I'm guessing you and my cousin got together then?" Sirius asked, his eyes twinkling. Remus's face flushed red, but he nodded. He glanced away sadly.

"How old is he?" Lily asked softly. He smiled slightly at the thought of Teddy and how all his friends were suddenly mind readers, and he looked into Lily's bright green eyes as he replied.

"One month," he said softly, and Lily hugged him again, this time putting all of her feelings into her hug. He smiled at his friends, but shook his head as if to clear his mind.

"He'll be okay," Remus said, "he's got Harry and Andromeda and Dora…" he trailed off once more, this time staring with his mouth open at one of the doorways. A young woman stood there, her mousy hair and heart-shaped face so familiar to Remus, but he refused to believe what he saw. His three friends followed his gaze, and Sirius nodded sadly, while Lily and James exchanged a look of understanding.

She noticed him staring at her and she raced over and hugged him, her eyes shining with both joy and tears.

"Oh, Remus," she whispered, "Teddy…" He looked down at her.

"He'll be okay," he muttered in her ear. "He had Harry, and your mum. They wouldn't let anything happen to him." She smiled softly, tears threatening to erupt. Instead, it was the sobbing of another that caught his attention, one with famous burning red hair and –

"Fred?" Remus and Sirius asked in unison, and the boy looked up in surprise.

"Or George, is it?" Sirius asked as an afterthought, but Fred shook his head, tears dripping down the side of his face. More tears came at the mention of George's name, and Remus felt pain for the two twins, who were now separated for an indeterminate time. He involuntarily glanced around for the telltale red hair, and was shocked when he saw two people walking toward them with the same hair.

Fabian and Gideon crouched by Fred, startling him. They led him away, most likely to explain what had happened and to comfort him.

Remus gazed around the room, startled by just how many familiar faces he saw. There was Mad-Eye, sitting calmly next to Bathilda Bagshot, chatting with Marlene McKinnon. There was that Ravenclaw in his year – he couldn't remember much about her except for her ability at Charms. They were all clustered together, all watching one thing – Harry. Remus blinked when he saw Harry, and squeezed his eyes shut to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

He could see Harry on what seemed to be a wall, his movements being watched by all the people in the crowd.

"What…?" he asked. Lily followed his gaze, but before she could answer another familiar voice spoke from behind him.

"In cases such as this war, Remus, it is permitted for deceased relatives to watch world-changing events. We are simply following Harry because, as you well known, he is pretty much the main point of this way," Dumbledore said softly. His wisdom twinkled in his eyes, and Remus could tell that he knew something that no one else did.

James led Remus back to the couch he had been sitting on when Remus first saw him. Lily, Sirius and Dora followed them, each sitting in their own worn spot on the couch, Remus fitting in as if he had always been with them. Their eyes followed Harry, though they weren't really taking it all in. Before he knew what was going on, they saw Harry talking to Neville about the snake.

"It's got to be killed," he was saying. "Ron and Hermione know that, but just in case they—" He broke off, smothered by his words. He finished talking to Neville and the scene followed to him walking past Ginny, and somehow they could see Harry beneath his cloak. Then the scene switched to one in the Great Hall, where families were gathering, and Remus could see the Weasleys –

But suddenly he felt something tugging at his body, and the room in which he was in spun. He blinked and suddenly found himself standing in the middle of the Forbidden Forest, surrounded by James, Lily and Sirius, all of them smiling and watching Harry. He held in hands a stone, and Remus remembered the Beedle the Bard story his mother had told him all those years ago. _The Resurrection Stone…_ the words caught on his lips, and he smiled knowledgably at Harry instead. It was Lily who spoke first, all the motherly love in her eyes so powerful that Remus could not help but feel like he was intruding on some private family moment.

"You've been so brave."

The words escaped her lips and they seemed to amplify the stillness in the forest, and Harry's eyes just stood there and took in the sight of her, not knowing what to believe.

"You are nearly there. Very close. We are… so proud of you." James spoke next, looking as if he wanted to hug Harry to him and never let go, though knowing that he couldn't. Harry spoke suddenly, and Remus couldn't help smiling at his question.

"Do it hurt?"

"Dying?" Sirius spoke up. "Not at all. Quicker and easier than falling asleep." Remus voiced his own opinion.

"And he will want it to be quick. He wants it over."

"I didn't want you to die," Harry said, and Remus knew how much Harry was applying these words to himself. "Any of you. I'm sorry – right after you'd had your son… Remus, I'm sorry—" Remus broke off the pointless rant, knowing that his death could not be changed.

"I am sorry too," he replied, trying to reassure Harry. Images of Teddy flashed through his mind, but he pushed them away and focused on the boy – no, man – in front of him. "Sorry I will never know him… but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand." Thoughts he had not voiced before were falling from his lips, but he knew it was the right thing to say. "I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life."

A midnight breeze ruffled Harry's hair, and he spoke to them, "You'll stay with me?" James and Sirius replied eagerly, for Remus knew they were as happy to see him as he them. Harry spoke to Lily quietly, and Remus felt oddly sad for them both, having to miss out on each other's love.

They marched through the woods silently, Remus mulling over his own thoughts, yet watching Harry closely out of the corner of his eye. He barely noticed the dementors, but they could not affect any of them, the four of them acting as Patronuses for Harry. They followed the Death Eaters into the woods, and as the ring fell from Harry's hands Remus took one last look at Harry before he faded away, back to death —

And he woke suddenly, Dora watching him. She looked at him quizzically, but he shook his head. There would be time for explanations later. No one had seen their conversation with Harry, but Dumbledore had guessed, and Remus saw him slip away somewhere.

It was moments later that Dumbledore returned, and quietly told the four that Harry was well. Remus wondered how Dumbledore would know, but he seemed to know everything, and Remus accepted it just like he always had. On the screen they watched as Voldemort pretended to triumph, but Harry prevailed –

And as the Elder Wand flew through the air, Remus knew that he wouldn't be seeing Harry, or any of the Weasleys, or his son, or anyone young for a while, not until their time had come, and that Voldemort and the Death Eaters would never get what they has so desired and…

Remus smiled at Dora and kissed her on the cheek, who grinned broadly back at him, both knowing that Teddy would be happy. Then he leaned over to Lily, who had hugged James tightly as the cheering had broken out both around them and on the screen before them.

"It's okay now, Lily," he whispered in her ear. She grinned broadly at him, tears of joy dripping down her face. "All is well."


End file.
